FREDDIE DOLCE HERRINGTON EMERICK, BELOVED DASCHUND & FRIEND 6/6/10

It was just months ago that I first saw the dog we came to call Freddie, trotting down a lonely stretch of central Texas highway, near to Cameron, his tail whipping to-and-fro, ears flopping, tongue dripping, eyes wide with concern and confusion. Where was he going? Who had left him to this fate? Many questions clouded my adled Aggie mind while I watched him walk for what seems like an eternity. In fact, being a daschund, he had only really traveled about 8 feet...

I stopped my truck, scooped him up, drove towards home, stopped at Dollar General, got him some canned Alpo With Beef Chunks, brought him home, fed and watered him. Only later, after Freddie had scarfed down both cans of the stuff, and being enlightened by my beloved betrothed, did I come to realize my benevolent intentions were misguided. Freddie treated us for the rest of the evening to some hair-curling, eye-watering puppy flatulence.

In any case, Freddie was welcomed with open arms by our children, and I was well ready to accept Freddie into our family as a permanent member. But my dear beloved betrothed 'reminded' me of several things. Firstly, we are often gone on trips, many of them spur of the moment, and providing care for a dog would be difficult in our regular absence, and B, my beloved betrothed, a cat person, does not care for smelly, dirty, stinky dogs in her house, etc.

So we found a home for Freddie with the Emericks, our friends in The Woodlands, who renamed him 'Dolce' and provided dog opportunities for him that we simply couldn't. We were promised we could babysit when they went out of town, which is exactly what Hannah was doing when he became so badly injured. The vet said his injury could have occurred anytime, anywhere. Good that he was given comfort so quickly. And the Emericks were quite understanding, telling Hannah that at least he spent his last days with the family who rescued him and gave him love and shelter to begin with.

So, dear friends, that's the story of Freddie. May He Rest In Peace, Amen, and Amen:)